Improvement in valves for steam-pumps



mii 1 l JOSEPH `W. HOP`KlNS A Improvmet in` Valves for `Steam Pudmps, `&c. 119,030. i Y Y ratented Sep. 19,187.1.

WITNESSES AM, FHara-url/MMfH/c ca. Mx ofsow/k Mauss. 1

` piston.

UNITED' #S1-MSL PArEN'r GEEicE.

JOSEPH w. norKiNs, OE NEw YORK7 N. Y., AssieNoR To rnMsELE, ALBERT e. REARUP, AND PATRICK oARRAi-iER7 JR., OE sAME rLAoE.

IMPROVMENUN vALvEs FoR sTEAMPuMPsF, &.

Specification formingp'art of Letters Patent No. 119,030, dated September 19, 1871.

To all 'whom it may concern: A

Be it known that I., JosEPH W. HOPKINS, of the city7 county, and State of New York, have invented a `new and useful Improvement in Valves for the Steam-Cylinders of Steam-Pumps .and Direct-Acting Engines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing `forming part ofthis specification, and in which- `Figure l represents a vertical longitudinal section of a steam-pump, in part, with my improvement applied to it; Fig. 2, a similar view of the valves of the steam-cylinder in a reverse position to that shown for them in Fig. l; Fig. 3, a plan of the valve-seat, over which the valve that receives a positive motion from the engine travels; and Fig. 4, an under view of said valve.

l Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several iigures.

My invention relates to that system of combination of valves for the steam-cylinders of steam-pumpsand direct-acting engines, in which the Valve that controls the piston of the steamcylinder is moved by the direct action of the steam as admitted to it by a valve having' a positive motion from the piston or mechanism connected therewith 5 and the invention consists in anovel construction and arrangement of said valves,their ports and passages,whereby amost efficient action is obtained, and, among other advantages, the valve that controls the piston of the steam-cylinder is both shut and stopped by the live steam, and counterbalanced by said pressure when at rest.

`A in the accompanying drawing represents the steain-cylinder` of a steam-pump, and B its C is the valve that directly controls the motion of said piston, and D its cylinder or case. E is the valve that is operated at the end of the pistons stroke by a positive motion from the piston through a tappet motion or other suitable mechanism. F is the valve-chest, to which the live steam is admitted as by a pipe, b. Both valves are slide ones, but the valve C, preferably made cylindrical, in which case it may be restrained from turning by a guide-pin and slot, as represented in Figs. l-and 2. Said valve has an outer central exhaustcavity, c, around it, and upper and lower parts d d and c c, through tubular end-extensions of its central or body portion, the lower ports c c and exhaust-cavity c controlling the ways j' f and general eXhaustf passage g to pass the steam to and from the opposite ends alternately of the cylinder A. The upper ports d d in the valve C control ports h h, in the valve-seat G, to admit live steam alternately through ports i i in the valve E for the purpose of stopping the valve C and of producing a counterbalancing action or pressure on the opposite end of said valve to that on which steam from the chest F had been admitted by one or otherl of two ports, 7c 7c, in the seat G, to throw the valve C. 1

The devices for operating the slide-valve E may consist of an arm, Z, on the rod of the piston B, arranged to strike alternately stops m m upon a rod which is connected with a lever that actuates said valve. The valve E, thus suddenly thrown alternately in reverse directions at the ends of the pistons stroke, alternately uncovers the ports 7c 7c to admit steam to throw the valve O to the right or to the left for the purpose of reversing the motion of the piston, and shortly before the valve C reaches the end of its throw brings either port t' opposite either port h to admit live steam through either port d to stop the valve C at the end of its throw by said port d then coming in line with the port 7L, to which it pertains. The steam thus admitted to stop the valve C also serves to counterbalance it after it has been thrown and till said valve is reversed, such action taking place in both directions of said valves travel; but to effect the throw of the valve C by the live steam, as admitted through either port k, it is necessary to get rid of the live steam admitted Vby either one set of ports, i, h, and d, to stop said valve C, and counterbalance it whenat rest. To accomplish this the valve E is provided With an exhaust cavity, a, which, when said valve is uncovering a port, 7c, comes over the one of a pair of ports, rr, in the cylinder D and valve-seat G, and over a further port, s, in said cylinder and valveseat to pass the live steam from the reverse end of the valve C by the one of a pair of ports, u u, in the valve C, to the exhaust-cavity c and general exhaustpassage g, thus providing for the throw of the valve C by the live steam, either one set of ports u r being alternately brought in line to relieve the valve C as or shortly before it is thrown iirst to the one side and then t0 the other.

- What is here claimed, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of the ports i in the valve E and ports d d in the valve C with the stationary ports 7L h and 7c 7c, when arranged substantially as and for the purposesmherein set forth.

2. The combination7 with the elements recited in the preceding claim, of the ports uu r 1' s and exhaust-cavities n and o, arranged in relation with each other, essentially as shown and described.

' JOSEPH W. HOPKINS.

Witnesses:

FRED. HAYNES, R. E. RABEAU. 

